Informa Reports 6.4% Revenue Growth, Reaffirms Guidance Amid Strong B2B and Academic Performance

Informa has used its AGM trading update to deliver a pretty straightforward message: 2026 is going well, and management thinks 2027 could be even better. The headline number is 5-month underlying revenue growth of 6.4% to 31 May, and just as importantly, the group has reaffirmed full-year earnings guidance.

For retail investors, this matters because AGM updates are often where companies quietly lower expectations if trading has gone off track. Informa has done the opposite. It is leaning into the strength of its B2B Live Events arm and its Academic Markets business, while saying the disruption in conflict-affected markets is being managed through rescheduling rather than cancellation.

Informa AGM trading update: 6.4% underlying revenue growth and guidance reaffirmed

The key takeaway from this RNS is that Informa still has momentum. Underlying revenue growth – basically the company’s measure of like-for-like trading performance – came in at 6.4% in the first five months of 2026, excluding non-recurring data access contracts.

That is not explosive growth, but it is healthy. More importantly, it is broad-based, with both Academic Markets and B2B Live Events contributing. When a business can show growth across different divisions, it usually makes the overall story more durable.

Management also said it remains committed to double-digit underlying growth in adjusted EPS for the full year. Adjusted EPS means earnings per share after excluding certain items, but the company has not disclosed a more specific figure in this update.

Key numbers from Informa’s 2026 AGM trading update

Metric	Figure
Group underlying revenue growth	6.4% in the five months to 31 May 2026
Academic Markets underlying revenue growth	5.5%
Taylor & Francis full-year growth target	4% underlying growth
B2B Live Events underlying revenue growth	7.6%
B2B Live Events full-year guidance	7%+
B2B Live Events traded to date	More than $1.5 billion
Full-year revenue visibility	$4 billion+ traded, booked or visible
H1 2027 forward revenues	$0.6 billion+ booked or confirmed
Eurobond	€500 million, 6-year, significantly over-subscribed
Weighted average debt maturity	4.3 years
Share buyback	£250 million ongoing

Why Informa’s B2B Live Events division is the main growth engine

The standout division here is B2B Live Events, which includes Informa Markets, Connect and Festivals. It delivered 7.6% underlying revenue growth in the first five months, and the company is guiding for 7%+ for the full year.

That is a strong result, especially given that part of the portfolio has been disrupted by conflict. Informa says c.90% of B2B Live Events – in The Americas, Greater China, ASEAN, Europe and IMEA pre-conflict – has shown strong growth. That suggests the core machine is working well.

The company also gave some useful colour on where demand is strongest. Healthcare, food, beauty and aesthetics, and finance were all highlighted, with brands such as HIMSS, Gulfood, Cosmoprof Miami and Money 20/20 Europe performing well.

There is also targeted investment in gaming, where Informa is repositioning GDC and launching the Kingdom of Gaming brand in KSA. That is worth noting because it shows management is not just harvesting existing events – it is still spending to refresh and expand the portfolio.

Conflict disruption is still a real issue, but not a thesis-breaker

The weaker bit of the update sits in the c.10% of B2B Live Events that is directly impacted by conflict. Informa said 15+ Brands have been rescheduled within 2026, while a number of new launches and some smaller pre-existing brands have been actively deferred into 2027.

Those deferred launches include Vitafoods Dubai, Fortis, WHX Tech and Gulf Print & Paper. That is clearly a near-term drag. The positive spin is that the company is deferring rather than scrapping these events, which helps support the stronger 2027 outlook.

Investors should still keep an eye on the next update on 30 July, when interim results arrive. Management has flagged that this will be five weeks before the first major 2026 rescheduled brands, LEAP in Riyadh and Middle East Energy in Dubai, so that announcement should give a better read on how much disruption remains.

Taylor & Francis gives Informa a dependable Academic Markets base

Informa is not just an events story. Its Academic Markets division, centred on Taylor & Francis, delivered 5.5% underlying revenue growth in the first five months, again excluding non-recurring data access contracts.

That growth was supported by Subscriptions, Open Research and Advanced Learning. The company said it remains on track for 4% full-year underlying growth.

This matters because it gives the group a steadier earnings base. Live events can be more cyclical and more exposed to disruption, so having a solid academic publishing and services arm helps balance the mix. That is a positive for quality of earnings, even if the growth rate is lower than events.

Informa’s 2027 outlook points to stronger earnings growth ahead

The most bullish part of the RNS is probably not the 2026 trading at all. It is the line about stronger growth in 2027, with management expecting further strong growth in adjusted EPS.

The logic is simple enough. Informa expects a full brand schedule in 2027, including annual and biennial B2B brands, plus the restaging of launches and events that have been deferred from 2026. In other words, some of this year’s disruption could become next year’s catch-up growth.

There is already some evidence behind that claim. The group says it has $0.6 billion+ of H1 2027 forward revenues booked or confirmed, and annual and biennial B2B brands are pacing for strong growth. That kind of forward visibility is useful in an events business because it reduces the guesswork.

One Informa, AI investment and efficiency – good strategy, but still broad brush

Management also highlighted the 2025-2028 One Informa programme, which is focused on data-led marketing, customer experience, group-wide AI deployment, and efficiency, productivity and product innovation.

Strategically, that all sounds sensible. The only catch is that this update gives no financial detail on the expected benefits, costs or timing. So for now, investors should treat it as supportive background rather than a hard valuation driver.

Balance sheet strength, Eurobond demand and the £250 million buyback

There was good financing news too. Informa said its €500 million 6-year Eurobond was significantly over-subscribed, extending weighted average debt maturity to 4.3 years.

That matters because it gives the group longer-dated funding and more flexibility. In plain English, it reduces refinancing pressure and suggests debt investors are comfortable lending to the company.

The £250 million share buyback programme is also ongoing. Buybacks can support shareholder returns, although this RNS does not say how much has been completed so far.

What this Informa RNS means for retail investors

My read is that this is a solid, reassuring update. The positives are clear: good underlying growth, strong trading in the core live events portfolio, steady academic performance, strong forward visibility, reaffirmed guidance, and a confident early look into 2027.

The negatives are also real, but manageable. Conflict-related disruption is still affecting part of the live events business, and some launches have been pushed into 2027. That creates timing risk, even if the underlying demand appears intact.

Overall, this does not read like a company under pressure. It reads like a company with a decent 2026 already in hand, using strong booking visibility and portfolio breadth to look through short-term disruption. For shareholders, that is usually exactly what you want to see in an AGM trading update.